Spring Time

Down on the Farm

Robert Reed
www.artdramascripts.com
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Copyright 2009 Robert Reed

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Roles and costumes

Characters
SHEP: Leading role; dressed in black and white, with tail and face paint
NARRATOR 1: Dressed in colourful clothes
NARRATOR 2: Dressed in colourful clothes
FARMER: farmer's clothing
FARMER'S WIFE: appropriate clothing for farmer's wife; handbag
CAT: appropriate coloured clothes, with cat ears attached to headband, tail and face paint
CROW 1:

black clothes; face paint; wings

CROW 2:

black clothes; face paint; wings

RABBITS (TWO): appropriate coloured clothes, headband with rabbit ears, face paint
CALVES (TWO):
and face paint

appropriate coloured clothes, headband with small horns and ears, tail

LAMBS (TWO): appropriate coloured clothes, face paint and tail

DUCKLINGS (TWO): yellow clothes with red/orange socks; face paint; wings
CHICKS (TWO): yellow clothes with brown socks; face paint; wings
KITTENS (TWO): appropriate coloured clothes, with face paint and tail
NEW-BORN CHICK: yellow clothes, brown socks; face paint; wings; egg-shell hat
Total number of characters: 21
All roles could be performed by any gender. Baby animal roles could be played by very small
children. The narrations could be done by teachers or older children. The leading character
Shep has 17 lines. The play can be performed with a minimum of 13 children; alternatively,
extra casting is possible by increasing the number of baby animals.
Other roles:
SOUND EFFECTS (one role)

Production Notes
This play was written for pupils in Years 1 and 2 who love dressing up as different animals.
The language and roles have been composed specially for younger children who are emergent
readers. The play does not require any changes of props and is very easy to stage. The script
features a suggested song to be performed (music rights not included). The play's run-time is
about ten minutes. The play script provides an opportunity to celebrate spring. It also
includes some Maths practice (counting in twos).

Suggested music:
(Music performance rights are not included with this script. Please obtain any licences
necessary to perform the suggested music.)
'I've got a brand new combine-harvester ' by The Wurzels
'Old MacDonald had a farm', sung by the pupils at the end of the performance
(see: http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/lyrics/mcdonald.htm )

Stage arrangements
The stage arrangements are very simple. There is no need for any change of scenes or props.
There can be a backdrop of fields and there should be a 'barn' on one side of the stage for the
crows to fly into. Flowers may be placed on stage to create the spring atmosphere.

Place
The farmyard.

Props
There should be a barn (for example, made from cardboard). Other props include: a cat
basket; Wellington boots for the farmer to put on; Shep requires a whistle and clipboard; and,
a hat for the farmer's wife to wear when she returns from shopping.

Spring Time Down on the Farm

By Robert Reed
www.artdramascripts.com

(Suggested music as audience enter: 'I've got a brand new combineharvester ' by The Wurzels.)
(The Courtyard of the farm. CAT is sleeping in the front corner of the
stage; CHICKS, DUCKLINGS, LAMBS, RABBITS and CALVES are
sitting in groups on stage.)
NARRATOR 1: It was Spring time down on the farm and the courtyard was
filled with baby animals.
NARRATOR 2: Some were pecking; some were bouncing; some were
skipping;
NARRATOR 1: Some were walking; and, some were waddling.
(All the animals, except for the Cat, begin to move around the stage
pretending to talk to each other and shrugging shoulders and scratching
their heads.)
NARRATOR 2: They were all very confused.
(Animals stop moving and face audience looking confused.)
RABBITS: Are we calves?
CALVES: We're rabbits! Aren't we?
LAMBS: Are we ducklings?
(Cat stretches, yawns and sits up smiling.)

CAT: Oh boy, these baby animals are silly! My kittens are the cats whiskers,
you know.
DUCKLINGS: What are we? Should we skip or hop?
CHICKS: We'll grow into big cows!
(Cat starts pointing and laughs so much he/she falls over.)
(Enter FARMER and FARMERS WIFE. Farmer yawns, sits and puts on
his Wellington boots as the animals begin to move around stage in their
confused manner. )
FARMER: Heavens above, the animals have gone mad, dear! What shall we
do?
FARMER'S WIFE: Let's go shopping: I need a new hat! Shep, come and sort
out these animals!
(Enter SHEP the Sheepdog, saluting the Farmer and Farmer's Wife.)
SHEP: You can rely on me!
FARMER: Excellent! See you later.
(Farmer and Farmer's Wife exit.)
CAT: A dog in charge! Huh. (Shaking head.)
(Shep blows whistle and the baby animals stop moving immediately.)
SHEP: All baby animals stand in line!
(Baby animals line up.)
NARRATOR 1: Shep knew there was only one way to sort out the baby
animals.
NARRATOR 2: He was going to have to test them.
SHEP: On the count of three, all animals will say 'Moo!' One, two. (Pause.)
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DUCKLINGS: Quack!
SHEP: Wait for it! Three.
(Baby animals make sounds, each species in turn.)
CHICKS: Cheap, cheap!
DUCKLINGS: Quack, quack!
LAMBS: Baa, baa!
(The Rabbits merely twitch their noses.)
CALVES: Moo, Moo!
SHEP: Bingo! You're calves. Now go and wait over there.
(Calves go to the back of the stage and sit and Shep pretends to write the
information on his clipboard.)
SHEP: Now all animals will skip across the courtyard.
(The baby animals take it in turns to try to skip across the stage. The
Chicks go first and peck the ground walking across the stage; the
Ducklings waddle; the Rabbits bounce and finally the Lambs skip.)
SHEP: Congratulations! You are lambs. Now go over there.
(The Lambs skip to the back of the stage area and sit and Shep pretends to
write the information on his clipboard. Enter two CROWS cawing. They
sit and watch the proceedings.)
SHEP: Now all animals must bounce.
(The Chicks flap their wings and pretend to try to bounce, but don't leave
the ground. The Ducklings bend down low, flap their wings, but don't
leave the ground. Finally, the Rabbits begin to bounce all around the
stage.)
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(Shep blows the whistle.)

SHEP: Enough bouncing: you're rabbits. Now go over there! Come on, hop to
it.
(The Rabbits bounce to the back of the stage area and sit and Shep
pretends to write the information on his clipboard.)
(The Crows stand up laughing.)
CROW 1: I've never seen anything so funny!
CROW 2: I'd never make a fool of myself. Thats for sure.
(Crows flap wings and fly slowly to the other side of the stage and
straight into the barn. As the crows hit the barn a drum beat is sounded.
The Crows lie dazed on their backs with their legs in the air.)
CROW 1: Stone the crows! Who put that barn there?
CROW 2: Ouch! What a headache.
(Crows rub their heads.)
CROW 1: My beaks bent: Ill never caw properly again.
CROW 2: Do you think anyone noticed?
(The Crows look around the stage and then limp off stage.)
CAT: Thank goodness I'm a cat and my kittens know what they are.
SHEP: Now all animals will say 'Quack'!
CHICKS: Cheap, cheap!
SHEP: Almost.
DUCKLINGS: Quack, quack!
DUCKLINGS: So, we must be (Pause.), um (Pause.)
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SHEP: Ducklings! Now go over there.

(The Ducklings waddle to the back of the stage area and sit and Shep
pretends to write the information on his clipboard.)
(Enter two confused KITTENS on stage.)
SHEP: Finally, all animals will flap their wings and take off.
(Kittens look at each other and then try to fly. Cat hides face.)
CAT: I'm so embarrassed! Sometimes its a dogs life being a cat.
(Cat rushes across stage hiding her/his face and drags Kittens away.)
(Chicks flap wings and jump into the air.)
SHEP: Chicks! Now go over there.
(The Chicks walk pecking to the back of the stage area and sit and Shep
pretends to write the information on his clipboard.)
NARRATOR 1: Now all the animals were sorted.
NARRATOR 2: All Shep had to do was count them.
(Baby animals stand up in pairs as Shep counts.)
SHEP: Two, Four, Six, Eight, Ten.
(Enter Farmer and farmer's Wife wearing a hat.)
FARMER: Well done, Shep! Youre a farmers best friend.
FARMER'S WIFE: Do you like my hat?
SHEP: Woof!
FARMERS WIFE: Thank you, Shep. Youve got a real nose for fashion.
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NARRATOR 1: Now the farm was back to normal.

(Enter confused NEW-BORN-CHICK with egg shell on its head.)
NEW-BORN CHICK: Am I a calf? (Scratching head.)
ALL: Not again!
FARMERS WIFE: Shep, theres some more work for you!
NARRATOR 2: We hope you enjoyed our play. The End.

(All actors line up and sing 'Old MacDonald. Actors bow.)

THE END

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